Rising GOP stars eye education

A crop of ambitious Republican governors who are possible vice presidential picks in 2012 are seeking high marks on education reform.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are trash-talking teachers’ unions and pushing for education legislation with a conservative spin in the name of the poorest students. Their efforts could help women warm to Republicans in a year when presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney is lagging by double digits behind President Barack Obama with the key demographic.

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Jindal recently signed a package of education bills that included expanding charter schools. McDonnell is trying to get a voucher plan through his state’s Legislature. Chris Christie gained national notoriety for his public battles with politically powerful teachers’ unions.

“Reforming our schools isn’t about the next election, it isn’t about the next poll, it’s about the next generation,” Jindal told POLITICO.

In April, Jindal signed off on a voucher program to allow parents to send their children to private schools with state aid and an overhaul of teacher tenure that makes firing teachers deemed “ineffective” easier.

“It’s a natural fit for Republicans,” Jindal said. “I’ve long thought Republicans need to be much more proactive on education and health care reform.”

Christie and Jindal both appeared at a school-choice conference in New Jersey this week, where they delivered strong promises to expand charter schools and voucher programs.

While battles with teachers unions and debates over how to improve failing inner-city schools are politically tricky topics on the state level, for the group of Republicans with thinly veiled national aspirations, the issue is a win-win.

It’s a move that is helping some rising GOP stars make inroads with women, a key constituency that the GOP is finding it difficult to woo this year. Romney is trailing President Barack Obama by double digits in some polls in the with women and the issue could also be key in a slew of competitive down-ballot races this fall.

“Education is a very important issue across-the-board but it’s particularly important among women,” said GOP pollster Whit Ayres. “Since education is widely viewed as primarily a state rather than a federal issue, it becomes a critical way for Republican candidates to close the gender gap.”

Education has virtually been missing in action from the 2012 presidential race, despite the expiration of President George W. Bush’s controversial No Child Left Behind law — which required states to develop standards for their students to receive federal funding — and praise of President Obama’s Race to the Top program — which awards federal grants to states innovating in education.

While the political world wonders who Romney will pick as a running mate, shoring up female voters could end up being a key consideration. And the mostly male group of governors who have invested their political capital in education may get a special look.

Yet, Romney rarely talks about education on the campaign trail, addressing the issue really only when asked by voters about it.

A prominent Romney surrogate who toyed with the idea of running himself in 2012, Christie boasts frequently about his battles with the teachers’ unions and the need to fix New Jersey’s worst schools located in the poorest urban areas, including when he’s working a crowd for Romney.